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Shloka 39

Viṣṇu-sahasranāma—Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Recitation (विष्णोर्नामसहस्रम्)

प्रेतलोकगता होते नरके पापकर्मिण: । पच्यन्ते वै यथा मीना: पूयशोणितभोजना:,ये पापकर्मी मनुष्य प्रेतलोकमें जाकर नरककी आगमें मछलियोंकी तरह पकाये जाते हैं और पीब तथा रक्त भोजन करते हैं

pretalokagatā hote narake pāpakarmiṇaḥ | pacyante vai yathā mīnāḥ pūyaśoṇitabhojanāḥ ||

یَم نے کہا—جو لوگ گناہ کے کام کرتے ہیں، وہ عالمِ اموات (پریت لوک) میں جا کر دوزخ میں گرتے ہیں۔ وہاں وہ آگ میں مچھلیوں کی طرح پکائے جاتے ہیں اور ان کی غذا پیپ اور خون بنا دی جاتی ہے۔

प्रेतलोकगताgone to the world of the departed
प्रेतलोकगता:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रेतलोकगत
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
होतेbecome/are
होते:
TypeVerb
Rootभू
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
नरकेin hell
नरके:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootनरक
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
पापकर्मिणःevil-doers; those of sinful deeds
पापकर्मिणः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपापकर्मिन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
पच्यन्तेare cooked/tormented (by heat)
पच्यन्ते:
TypeVerb
Rootपच्
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Atmanepada, Passive
वैindeed
वै:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै
यथाas; just like
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा
मीनाःfish
मीनाः:
TypeNoun
Rootमीन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
पूयशोणितभोजनाःhaving pus and blood as food
पूयशोणितभोजनाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootपूयशोणितभोजन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural

यम उवाच

Y
Yama
P
Pretaloka
N
Naraka
M
mīna (fish)

Educational Q&A

Sinful actions (pāpa-karma) lead to painful post-mortem consequences; the graphic imagery is meant to warn and to encourage adherence to dharma and ethical restraint.

Yama, the lord of justice and the dead, describes the fate of wrongdoers: after reaching pretaloka they are cast into naraka, where they undergo torment likened to fish being cooked, and are forced to consume impure substances such as pus and blood.